MUMBAI– Singer Papon has penned a heartfelt message remembering his late friend and fellow musician Zubeen Garg, who died in a tragic accident last week in Singapore.
Sharing an old photograph with Garg on Instagram, Papon wrote, “Missing you so much my brother. Stay happy wherever you are.” He also posted a note in Assamese, urging authorities to expedite the investigation into Garg’s death. “Requesting to carry the investigations at the fastest possible pace and hope we get the answers to our questions very soon,” he added.
Garg, one of the most celebrated voices of Assam and the Northeast, passed away on Sept. 19 after a scuba diving accident in Singapore. He was rescued by local police and admitted to a hospital ICU, but doctors were unable to save him. The singer had traveled to the city-state for the fourth North East India Festival at Suntec, scheduled for Sept. 20–21. Just hours before the tragedy, he had shared a warm invitation to fans on social media.
A superstar in Assamese music, Garg’s Bollywood breakthrough came with the 2006 chartbuster “Ya Ali” from the film Gangster, which made him a household name across India. His career, however, was also shaped by personal loss: in 2002, his younger sister Jongki Borthakur, an actress and singer, died in a car crash in Assam’s Sonitpur district. Garg later released the album Xixhu in her memory.
Garg is survived by his wife, fashion designer and costume director Garima Saikia Garg.
Papon, known for his own versatility across Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Marathi, and Assamese music, is the founder and lead vocalist of the folk-fusion band Papon and The East India Company. His tribute underscored the depth of loss felt not only by Garg’s family and fans, but also by fellow artists who saw him as a brother and an inspiration. (Source: IANS)
